Verlander receives heroic ovation as he returns to Comerica Park

DETROIT, Michigan — The Houston Astros, Justin Verlander, returned to a crowd of 19,711 where he received three standing ovations while pitching lifting the opponents to to a 3-2 victory over the Tigers on Monday night at Comerica Park.

“It was almost normal until the tribute video, but that really got to me,” he said. “I had a lot of great memories in my 13 years here, and that brought it all back. I wanted to get to the dugout before it started, but once it started playing, I had to watch.”

Verlander (15-9) made his major league debut with the Tigers in 2005. He ranks among the top 10 on several of the team’s career lists. Verlander was traded to Houston in August 2017.

The longest cheer, though, came when he walked off the mound after the seventh, having thrown 104 pitches.

“The one after the seventh really meant the world to me,” he said. “The fans here were always great to be here, and they showed that again tonight. That was a really emotional moment.”